BP Cartridge With Air Space

yonderin

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Stumbled across a thread on another forum, guy was looking to make .45-70 reduced loads. Usual advice to use a filler if using black but was quite surprised that a few respondents supported the idea of no filler as long as the case was at least 2/3 full. Even stated that they'd seen pictures of old ammo cut lengthwise which showed the air gap.

Anybody have experience with this? I don't have to worry about it, by the time I get my load assembled there is no air space.
 
Been lots of testing done, and from what I gather, halfway down the barrel is bad, but 1/2 inch off the powder wont hurt a thing.
 
Personally mildly compressed is what I load for BP cartridge with ffg but I do make reduced loads but only with smokeless powders like Unique or Red Dot. I have never used fillers with these powders but others may require it. The old Lyman #3 cast load book has light loads listed. IMR 3031 actually is pretty good for light loads too in 45/70
 
There is a chapter in Hatcher's Notebook on that question.

Apparently the US ran tests on what would happen if the Minnie ball was not pushed down onto the powder.

.45-70 gallery cartridge.

https://www.google.com/search?clien...ILm2t3mAhXH6Z4KHZzLA8gQ4dUDCAY&uact=5#imgrc=_

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105191-Practise-quot-Gallery-quot-Load& ( scroll down, photobucket has messed up the photo )

He did similar tests with a .30-06 Springfield.

BP Gallery load of a light(ish) projectile and light charge I can see not being an issue.

Using a bullet more in the normal range, say 405 gr, wonder how much of an airspace one could get away with before the end of earth that conventional wisdom assures us will happen.
 
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